Udupi: A 37-year-old woman from Kerala reportedly lost Rs 4 lakh after falling victim to an online banking scam while visiting Udupi to purchase land.According to the police complaint, the victim identified as Shruthi V, had issued three cheques to a local resident, Ramananda Shetty of Katapady. On Aug 19, 2026, she searched online for her bank’s contact number to instruct them to clear the cheques, and called a mobile number she found in the search results.The individual answering the call posed as a bank official and sent her a link. He instructed her to open it and proceed through an app. Following his instructions, she processed a transaction, which immediately resulted in Rs 4 lakh being transferred out of her account.Growing suspicious, she immediately visited the bank branch, where bank officials confirmed she had been defrauded by cybercriminals.Based on her complaint, Udupi Town police registered a case under Section 318(4) of the BNS and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act.
